Page 76 of Owned By Four Alphas

A low, rumbling growl of grief choked out of Elian and his head fell to Malek’s shoulder, tears leaking from his eyes. Between them, Selena shuddered with violent sobs, and their baby shrieked.

Elian lost track of time as they sat there, huddled on the side of the volcano, mourning their packmates.

His soul felt cleaved in two. He had his mate, had his child…but it was incomplete. There was a part missing. A loss that could never be replaced.

He wondered if it would ruin them.

He clutched the remainder of his pack closely, regret threatening to stop his very heart.

Selena gasped suddenly, as if in pain, clutching her chest and rearing back from him.

“Selena, what is it? Are you hurt?” Malek said, his voice urgent.

She sucked in another sharp breath, her eyebrows knitting together.

“I…I don’t know…I don’t think…”

She broke free of their embrace, staggering to the ruined entrance, her hands bracing against the rock.

“Selena?” Elian asked, climbing to his feet.

A breeze washed over him, pleasant and warm, like the coming of spring.

Her skin glowed slightly silver.

Around her, small fragments of rock began to vibrate, dust swirling between her fingers. The rock seemed to sing, melodious and clear.

Their baby gurgled, and she looked up.

The child’s eyes glowed silver, and a familiar magical tendril pulsed from her.

Magic that had been inside Selena.

Elian blinked, staring down at his child, understanding finally dawning.

She was full of magic.

Magic that had not understood, magic that fought against its confinement. Magic that was too big for the tiny life it inhabited. Magic that fought against its mother. Magic that was now free, unentangled, and testing its first breath of cool air in nine months.

“You!” Selena said, her voice breathy, “all this time, all that chaos…it wasyou!”

“Selena?” Malek asked, hovering over her.

She looked wildly around her, at the mountain, hand reaching out.

She breathed out, and it turned into a laugh.

“My daughter!” she breathed, giddy and full of so muchloveas she pressed her forehead into her child’s, “my baby!”

“Selena,” said Elian, hooking a thumb under her chin, tilted her glowing face upwards, “you don’t think…”

“It’s her,” Selena whispered, “not me. It was never me. I was just a vessel. And now I’m free. And so is she.”

Malek’s eyes widened, “you don’t mean…”

“The Forest God,” Selena wept, “it’s her now.”

Selena turned, breathing in, her magic pulsing from her, calm and powerful and so veryalive.

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